Inspired by Scholastica

The synagogue leaders shunned me, deemed me demented, demon-possessed. Stooped in body, crushed in spirit. I hobbled to the synagogue, hidden, eyes riveted to the ground.  Then Jesus called me;  hesitant, I shuffled toward him, dazed and fearful, unable to lift my head. Jesus touched me and I felt my body straighten, my eyes lift to see his face, joy flooded my soul! I could stand up after eighteen years of being horizontal  to the ground, amazing the crowd. Jesus called me a daughter of Abraham, making me part of the family of Israel . He defied Jewish law by speaking to me, a woman, in public, touching me, curing me          on the Sabbath.  He stood up for me and  for all those bent over by injustice, hatred, fear or sickness, for when one is crushed, all are laid low and diminished; when one is raised up, all have dignity and worth.

In this Sunday's Gospel from Mark 10:46-52, we hear the story of the blind Bartimaeus who encounters Jesus on his way through his town. He cries out "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me." When Jesus asks him, "What do you want me to do for you?", the blind man says, "Lord, that I may see." He asks not only for physical sight, but for understanding, and Jesus tells him his faith has given him all that he needs. If Jesus asked you, "What do you want me to do for you?" what would you say? Some might want a cure for their sickness, others might ask for enough money to retire comfortably, still others might request success, or fame, or prestige. Many of us want things that do not last, that will not benefit us in the long run. Asking for vision to see what is really important in life is the best request we could make of Jesus. Knowing what is essential for salvation, what is going to make us whole and holy, is what really matters. Spiritual ...

On his visit to the United States last month, Pope Francis stressed the "culture of encounter" and the necessity of "dialogue."  Many North Americans live very exclusive lives, engaging in conversation with like-minded people with similar backgrounds. We are more comfortable with those who look like we do, talk like we do, and think like we do. Pope Francis models a different kind of behavior. He engages with the homeless, with prisoners, with those with special needs, with the poor. He wants the church to be inclusive and compassionate toward those who are wounded, alienated, or hurting. We need to leave our comfort zones and encounter those who are different from us. This means more than giving a dollar to a homeless person or serving in a food kitchen once in a while. It requires engaging in dialogue with them, listening to their stories, feeling their pain and isolation. We must never be condescending or treat them as lesser than ourselves. We are all on this jo...

Flannery O'Connor I got acquainted with Flannery O'Connor's fiction when I was in college. I thought her characters were a bit freakish and didn't understand her deeper meaning. I recently picked up her new biography by Angela Alaimo O'Donnell and gained a whole new appreciation of her. She is acclaimed as one of the foremost Catholic writers of the 20th century, and although she was only 39 when she died of lupus, she left a hefty body of work, including A Good Man Is Hard to Find  and Wise Blood. Confined to her home in Milledgeville, Georgia, for much of her life, she wrote several hours every day in spite of her debilitating illness. Her strong Catholic faith was embedded in her fiction, but it was never overt or saccarine. In fact, some Catholics were scandalized by her stories. She had a quirky sense of humor and matter of fact way of speaking that endeared her to many. In addition to her stories, she gave lectures on writing at colleges, wrote book revie...

Autumn creeps in slowly with bold scarlet, gold and burnt orange hues streaking the trees, swallowing  the green. Although it follows scientific principles it seems so magical, like a wonder worker pulling colors out of his hat.  Sunlight adds a spectacular glow to leaves before they become brittle and descend, fluttering to the ground, scattered by winds. The spectacular trees have such a brief time on stage, showing off their brilliant robes before they are stripped naked, becoming skeletons with scrawny limbs. The annual cycle of life and death reminds  us  to relish the day before the colors vanish and the landscape turns to frosty white. 

Some people are naturally compassionate and some of us have to work at it. I need to work hard at being empathetic. Since I learn fairly easily, I am not very understanding of those who are slow at comprehending. However, when it comes to computers, I have a hard time, so I am learning to be more compassionate toward other computer illiterates. I see and hear pretty well, so I get impatient with those whose sight and hearing are failing. But as I grow older, I know I will need others' patience with my poor vision and hearing. I rarely get sick, so it's hard to really empathize with those who suffer chronic illness. However, as my arthritis gets worse, I am beginning to be more attuned to others' deteriorating bodies. In our busy, fast-paced society, many of us don't want to bother with those who need attention and care. Compassion takes time and listening skills. It means being with those who are grieving, suffering, or lonely. You don't need to worry about wh...

We are told that we cannot change others, only ourselves. No matter how hard we try to change someone, it is like trying to transform a lemon into an orange. When we see others' faults, they often reflect our own defects, but we do not recognize them. When we are irritated by someone's slowness, we might take a look at our own stumbling steps. When we become incensed at another's lack of compassion, we need to observe how rigid we are in some areas. When we resent a person's crude behavior, we ought to consider our own lack of manners. This also includes sins of pride, jealousy, anger, sloth, selfishness and dishonesty. Blindness to our character defects makes us feel superior when actually we are often worse than those we criticize. I  know that I do not like messiness and people leaving their stuff lying around the room, yet my own bedroom and desk are far from orderly. I often judge people who are overweight as indulgent and not taking care of their health, yet I als...

Another mass shooting in Oregon this week killing 10 people and injuring several more has again caused shock and a call for stricter gun laws. But soon we will resume our routines and numb ourselves to the reality that criminals, mentally ill people and militants can access guns without background checks or registration in most states. The Oregon tragedy brings the total mass shootings (killing four or more) by gunfire in the U.S. this year so far to 294, and we've had only 274 days.The National Rifle Association (NRA), which donates large sums to members of Congress and scares gun owners into believing the government wants to take their guns away, will again thwart any attempt to have stricter gun controls. In Kansas, no state permit is required to purchase a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. This year, Gov. Brownback signed a bill expanding the state's permitless open-carry laws to include concealed carry. How many deaths will it take to stop this proliferation of guns? I have rea...